Freeman & Sear - Gemini I, Session 1



      ancient classic artifacts coins numismatic roman greek 



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                        Lot: 200

                        (click on image to enlarge)
                        SELEUCID KINGDOM: Seleucus II. 246-226 BC. AR 
                        tetradrachm (16.81 gm).

                        SELEUCID KINGDOM. Seleucus II (246-226 BC). Silver 
                        tetradrachm (16.81 gm). Uncertain Mint 40, in Commagene. 
                        Diademed head of Seleucus II right, with long, curly 
                        sideburn / BASILEWS SELEUKOU, Apollo standing left, 
                        examining arrow held in right hand and resting left 
                        elbow on tall tripod, NP monogram in outer right field. 
                        Unpublished; cf. SC 727 (same obverse die, reengraved 
                        for first time). Rare. Extremely fine 

                        Virtually the entire coinage of this mint was struck 
                        from a single obverse die, which very early in its 
                        career developed a severe flaw on the back of the king's 
                        neck. When Volume I of Seleucid Coins was published in 
                        2002, this die was known to have been reengraved in a 
                        way that substantially changed the royal portrait, yet 
                        failed to correct the die flaw (see SC 727.4-5). New 
                        material has revealed that the die was actually 
                        reengraved twice, apparently in the course of a single 
                        emission. The first reworking, exemplified here, removed 
                        the bump on the bridge of the king's nose, lengthened 
                        his sideburn, and straightened his diadem ties. This 
                        second state of the die survives in fewer than half a 
                        dozen examples. 
                        Estimated Value: $ 1,000 




...Sold for $900 USD [ approx 684 EUR, 477 GBP ] plus 15% buyers fee. 

Gemini I Auction Closed Jan 11-12, 2005. 

Re-used by permission of Freeman & Sear (www.freemanandsear.com) 
                      and Harlan J Berk (www.harlanjberk.com).